If you saw Jean Bowman today, you would never know that a painful spinal deformity once kept her from sleeping comfortably, playing with her grandchildren, swimming, and even wearing high heels – for years. Now, with spine surgery and rehabilitation behind her, she is living life to the fullest with a straight frame and absolutely no pain, thanks to her longtime New Milford physician, Daniel C. George, MD, and David Kramer, MD, co-director of the Spine Center at Danbury Hospital.

"Even though it's only been a year since my surgery, sometimes I forget how terrible it was for me and how little I could do," the New Milford resident said, "I am so grateful to those two wonderful physicians."

Bowman's success story epitomizes the collaborative approach to patient care taking place at Western Connecticut Health Network, a regional system of care that includes the combined resources of Danbury Hospital, New Milford Hospital, and other affiliated organizations. This one-year-old affiliation is already delivering easier access to a broader continuum of expertise and services right in patients' communities.

For Bowman, having the two hospitals and two exceptional orthopedic spine surgeons offered the best of both worlds. She maintained her trusted relationship with Dr. George, while tapping Dr. Kramer's expertise in treating complex scoliosis. Both surgeons agreed that the complexity of Bowman's condition lent itself to collaboration, given the multiple areas of pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. She needed several levels of her lower back fused.

"It was especially reassuring to see both doctors right before going into surgery," said Bowman. "I could tell by the confident way they both spoke that I was going to do well. Everyone at Danbury Hospital was pleasant, supportive and right there no matter what I needed. Staying close to home for surgical care made it easy for my family as well."